Structure of a diguanylate cyclase from Thermotoga maritima: insights into activation, feedback inhibition and thermostability

PLoS One. 2014 Oct 31;9(10):e110912. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0110912. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Large-scale production of bis-3'-5'-cyclic-di-GMP (c-di-GMP) would facilitate biological studies of numerous bacterial signaling pathways and phenotypes controlled by this second messenger molecule, such as virulence and biofilm formation. C-di-GMP constitutes also a potentially interesting molecule as a vaccine adjuvant. Even though chemical synthesis of c-di-GMP can be done, the yields are incompatible with mass-production. tDGC, a stand-alone diguanylate cyclase (DGC or GGDEF domain) from Thermotoga maritima, enables the robust enzymatic production of large quantities of c-di-GMP. To understand the structural correlates of tDGC thermostability, its catalytic mechanism and feedback inhibition, we determined structures of an active-like dimeric conformation with both active (A) sites facing each other and of an inactive dimeric conformation, locked by c-di-GMP bound at the inhibitory (I) site. We also report the structure of a single mutant of tDGC, with the R158A mutation at the I-site, abolishing product inhibition and unproductive dimerization. A comparison with structurally characterized DGC homologues from mesophiles reveals the presence of a higher number of salt bridges in the hyperthermophile enzyme tDGC. Denaturation experiments of mutants disrupting in turn each of the salt bridges unique to tDGC identified three salt-bridges critical to confer thermostability.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Enzyme Stability
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / chemistry*
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / genetics
  • Hot Temperature
  • Mutation
  • Phosphorus-Oxygen Lyases / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Phosphorus-Oxygen Lyases / chemistry*
  • Phosphorus-Oxygen Lyases / genetics
  • Protein Denaturation
  • Protein Multimerization
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Thermotoga maritima / enzymology*

Substances

  • Escherichia coli Proteins
  • Phosphorus-Oxygen Lyases
  • diguanylate cyclase

Associated data

  • PDB/4URG
  • PDB/4URQ
  • PDB/4URS

Grants and funding

Supported by Competitive Research Programme Grant CRP2008 from the National Research Foundation (to the J. L. laboratory). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.